Positive drive slow motion sprinkler



5- w. A. BUCKNER POSITIVE DRIVE SLOW MOTION SPRINKLER Filed Deg 2. 24',1934 WinABuc/cner @h .JLJAaL ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITEDSTATES POSITIVE DRIVE SLOW MOTION SPRINKLER William- A. Buckner, Fresno,Calif.

Application December 24, 1934, Serial No. 759,079

1 Claim. (01. 299 -67) This invention relates to water sprinklers and isdirected particularly to slow motion rotary water sprinklers.

In this type of rotary sprinklers, the sprinkler heads-rotating due tothe reactionary force of the water flowing from the nozzles-are oftensubject to sticking, and become inoperative, especially when the waterpressure isv low and wear has developed with long use. It therefore isnecessary to provide an auxiliary drive mechanism in order to assurerotation of the sprinkler head at all times. This problem has heretoforebeen dealt with by various mechanisms such as those disclosed in myUnited States Patents-Nos. 1,815,395, 1,815,880, and 1,970,126.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide a slow motionrotary sprinkler having a simplified water actuated and pressureresponsive mechanism which: will intermittently and positively impartrotation to the sprinkler head.

It is also my object to provide means whereby the speed of the positivedrive mechanism may be selectively controlled, thereby controlling thenumber of positive impulses imparted to the sprinkler head.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claim.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of my improved sprinkler.

Figure 2 is a top plan view partly in section taken on line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the water distributing disc.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawing, the numeral 1 denotes a cylindrical housing formed with atapped bottom passage 2 adapted to be secured to a Water supply pipe. Inwatertight engagement with the housing I is a cap 3 formed with anupstanding bearing sleeve 4. Rotatable in the bearing sleeve 4 is thetubular spindle 5 formed on its inner end with a flange 6. A thrustcollar 1 is disposed on the sleeve 5 between the flange 6 and a recessedbearing shoulder in the cap 3. The thrust collar 1 also compressesagainst a packing gasket 8 in its recess in the sleeve 4, which preventsWater leakage between the spindle 5 and the bearing sleeve 4. The usualgrease cup 9 affords lubrication to the bearing surface of the sleeve 4.

Threaded on the upper end of the spindle is o I and corresponding on theouter side to the 1 5- curvature of the side wall. The trailing edge ofthe finger I4 is formed at an angle as at I5 while the remainder of thefinger on the inner side tapers toward the leading edge as shown. I

Threaded into the bottom of the housing I di- 20 rectly over theincoming. water passage and depending into a chamber I 6 is a waterdistributing disc I'I having a central orifice I8 and a plurality oftangential passages l9 out about its rim on a vertical diagonal. Thedisc I! is provided on its lower face with downwardly tapering nubs 20which surround the central orifice as well as engage the housing at thebottom of the chamber It to form a strainer for the water entering thechamber Hi from the passage 2.

On the upper face of the water distributing disc is an upstandingbearing and water passage 2| concentric with the central orifice l8 andof less diameter than the disc. Adapted for selective threadedengagement in the central orifice I8 is a flow reducing core I811.having an orifice of reduced diameter therein.

A substantially rectangular driving member 22 having a bearing slot 23formed therein and adapted for cooperative engagement with the hearing2| rests on the upper face of the Water distributing disc 11 and is bothrotatable and transversely movable on the bearing. The driving member 22has a contact head 24 on one end thereof, the outer end of the headbeing, when in normal operative position, immediately adjacent as wellas conforming to the curvature of the housing. The contact head 24 hasan angular face 25 on its leading edge, the angle of the facecorresponding to the angle of the face IS on the finger l4.

Spaced about the sides and inner end of the driving member and extendingout therefrom are vanes 26 and 26a respectively, which are in the pathof the streams of water thrown out of the This causes the driving memberto rotate and to also be thrown centrifugally to itslimit of out whilethe remainder. flows betweenthe strainer nubs into the chamber Hi fromwhence it flows through the tangential passages 19 and strikes the vanesl6 and I Ea on the driving member 22.

ward movement, or to positionfrelative to'the bearing 2| ,as is shown inFigure 2 in full lines.

Then, as the driving member, rotates, the face 25 of the contact head 24strikes the face l5 'of the finger M which results in the finger andconsequently the sprinkler head being rotated'a shortdistance. The forceof the blow when the angular faces'come into contact then'causesthedriving' member to move inwardly, or so that it assumes the positionindicated in' dottediinesin V Figure 2. This'allows the con'tact head toslide pastthe finger and again assume a normal rotative'position withthe pressure ofwater against thevanes' g Y The above described functionprevents the 1'0- tatable sprinklerhead from sticking and becominginoperative because if at any time the reac-' tionary forcegof 'the'fiqwfrom the split nozzle .[Zis not'suflicientto rotate the sprinkler head,,the intermittent contact of. the, contact head and the finger willdrive the sprinkler head, around a certain distance and also preventanytendency for the parts to stick,- 1

= Thespeed with which the driving member rotates Within the housingmaybe controlled by the selective insertion of a core l6 having a largeror smaller'orifice. The greater the volume of water that is forcedthrough the passages l 9, the great-V 7 claim as new and useful er thespeed of the driving member. The tapered nubs 20 serve as a strainer andsubstantially all foreign matter in the water is prevented from flowinginto the chamber IS with.

possible jamming of the driving member as it flows out of the passagesl9. All such foreign matter will be fice l8. I 7

From the foregoing description it-will be readforced through the centraloriily seen that Ihave produced'such av device as substantially fulfillsthe objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do notform a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention,'what I' and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:-

A sprinkler comprising head having'a vertical passage spindle projectinginto and turnablymounted in the top of the hous ingQ a water intakepassage member formed with a housing, a sprinkler V the housing anddependingtherefrom a tubular element projecting upwardly 'into thehousing from thebottom thereof in axial alinement with the spindle andcommunicating with the intake passage, there being openings outwardly ofsaid 7 element and also providing communication between the housingandintake passage, means ac- V tuated by water flowing under pressure.through said openings to intermittently rotate the spindle,

and a removable flow restricting plug'mounted in said tubularelement'whereby said plugmay be interchanged with onehaving a differentsized flow restricting passageso as to alter the pressure of the waterflowing through said openings.

7 WILLIAM A. BUCKNER.

